


You've Been on my Mind A-Latte

by bakaa_usagi



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Barista AU, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Modern Setting, Mutual Pining, Oneshot, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, dum boys being dum, klance, klance centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-16 05:57:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12336846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakaa_usagi/pseuds/bakaa_usagi
Summary: Keith discovers a quaint little coffee shop on campus where he could do his studying, but little did he know he'd find a little more than just good coffee.





	You've Been on my Mind A-Latte

**Author's Note:**

> A cute little oneshot a friend and I wrote together a long while back,  
> decided to post this since it's completed; even though its choppy since it was more of an RP turned fic :)
> 
> Neither of us are writers, and it hasn't really been proof-read,  
> but I hope that you'll still enjoy it. Ty for giving it a read! :D

Keith wasn't usually (and by usually, he meant never) the type who'd prefer to hang around in a social setting like a café, he'd much rather stay in the quiet yet amiable silence of the library or the comfort of his room. 

Unfortunately, neither of those two options were available today, the library was closed for renovation and the water was down for the day at his place. He'd ask to go over to Shiro's, but the guy's got a team project to work on (with Hank? What's his name again?), and although Keith is cool with his childhood friend, he's not exactly the most sociable person out there. In fact, he's very particular about who he talked to. So far, Shiro's the only one who he'd considered to have something called a "friendship" with. 

But honestly, who'd ever have a problem with Shiro, the guy's practically a saint. He's also just happened to be the same person who mentioned this new coffee shop that opened on the far end of campus, and had suggested Keith to go try it. So now here he was, convincing himself that he just really needed a space to work on his term project. 

~~~~~

 

Lance handed the next customer her drink and gave her a winning smile. 

"Thanks, hope to see you again soon! - next?" He helped an elderly woman with her order, humming a little all the while. 

Although he had been reluctant to get a job here at the college at first, he was starting to really like it. He liked socializing with people and giving them drinks since it put smiles on the customer's faces. He was glad Hunk had suggested him to work here. After being kicked out of said college due to his lackluster grades and financial problems, he decided to just quit school altogether. 

He just wasn't meant to shove his nose in books all day. Doing jobs like this where he interacted with people came a lot easier to Lance. He finished helping the old lady and smiled at the next customer in line. 

"Hello~ Name's Lance, how can I help you today---...?" 

Lance blinked, the guy in front of him was cute. He had to fight the urge to not let it show or allow himself to stare, he had purple-grey eyes and a mullet (he would totally make fun of him about it if he wasn't a stranger that would probably kill him for the comment) but it strangely fit him. He almost didn't hear the guys order but quickly recollects himself. 

"One black coffee and a sandwich, got it~ And your name?" 

Yes this was good, fate was on his side, he'd be able to learn this guys name without having to pull some of his infamous pick up lines. He couldn't stop the smile on his face the whole time he spoke to this guy. Even if he was quiet and seemed annoyed 24/7 there was something endearing about him that Lance couldn't quite pinpoint. 

 

“...Keith.”

 

Lance happily wrote the name down and handed him a waiting number for his order before watching the other boy walk off.

~~~~~

 

Keith twirled around the order number stand in his hand and glanced around the room. It was quite a cozy place - the walls are textured with light wood sidings and the few hanging plants and antique bookshelves brought out the quirkiness of the place. The hanging, shadeless light bulbs emitted a warm glow and were bright enough to light the pages of his notebook on the table. 

Maybe because it was so early in the morning, but Keith found the place pleasantly peaceful with the lack of people. It was also relatively quiet save for the occasional coffee grinding and soft steamer whistle in the background which he didn’t mind at all. It was something that he could get used to. 

Before his thoughts started to wander, a voice brought him back to the present situation. 

It was the barista at the counter, but this time the tall tanned brunette was holding a brown tray with what he assumed to be his drink and sandwich. He exchanged the metal stand in his hand with his food and dropped a small "thanks" at the guy. 

The food was well made - his bread was toasted, the cheese was slightly melted on top of the ham. Keith could tell all the ingredients had been carefully selected. He flipped open his laptop and typed in the password while taking a sip on his coffee. Yep, this was definitely a keeper, he might find himself wandering back here more often. 

He reached into his bag and pulled out his favourite pair of headphones. Slipping them over his ears, he typed away at his research paper while taking a couple of bites of his food in between.

~~~~~

 

Lance could only sigh. The guy didn't even look at him twice... but at least he got his name when he ordered his drink, but he felt that he was probably another lost cause. Someone like Keith probably had a girlfriend already. He was upset, pouting in Keith's direction as he mulled over how he had bad luck falling for some random dude he only just met. He didn't even say hi to him. 

Lance heaved a huge sigh and moved to go and refill the coffee machine since no other customers were there at the moment. Early mornings were nice in a sense, it was peaceful. Lance usually enjoyed it but now he couldn't really enjoy it when he was thinking about his newly unrequited crush. Bummer. 

It's fine, it would probably pass and Lance would be good as new. After refilling the coffee grinder, his mind was taken off of Keith for the time being. Lance began humming; soft music was always playing in the cafe and Lance liked to hum along with it while he worked. He then decided to do some sweeping before the lunch rush started. He moved away from the counter and carefully swept between the tables and chairs, whilst doing a little dance and trying his best to keep his mind off of the good looking raven head in the corner.

~~~~~

 

When he's in the zone, Keith tended to lose track of time easily. By the time he finished the report and sent out an email to his teammates (he preferred to work alone and just wanted get his bulk of work done), it was already noon. There were still two bites left of his breakfast sandwich which he finished quickly and wiped his fingers on the napkin given with his meal. Sliding his laptop into his backpack, he did a mental checklist of the materials needed before heading to class.

Lance opened his mouth to say thanks to Keith and to tell him to come again, but the guy left before the words left his mouth. Once again, not even sparing a glance at him once. He sighed, leaning on his broom dramatically. 

"This sucks....I kind of hope he won't come back again.. I don't know if my heart can take it." The barista sighed again feeling super disheartened. Didn't even look at him once. You're out of your league Lance, he thought to himself. A jingle from the door indicated a new customer.

Hunk raised an eyebrow at his sulking friend as he entered the cafe. He had just come in to check on Lance while also planning on grabbing lunch. It was their routine. "Hey dude, why the long sigh? You look like you just got heart broken, did you flirt with a girl again only to have her reject you?" he approached Lance who only sighed again. 

"Nooooo... I don't want to talk about it. Lance pouted childishly and Hunk could only laugh and pat his friend on the back. "Awww come on Lance it's all good, plenty of fish in the sea or so they say, so what about my lunch I'm starvin'." The tanned barista grinned at his best friend. Hunk was always able to make him feel better, heading back around the counter Lance turned to input the order into the cashier. “Yeah man I gocha, the usual right?" Hunk nodded as he took his usual seat. It wasn't unusual for Lance to be upset over his many crushes, so Hunk figured it was another one of those days.

~~~~~ 

 

As the building manager notified all the unit's of the extension of the water shut down due to an unseen broken underground pipe, Keith found himself heading to the coffee shop once more the next morning. 

One of the things he enjoyed about being an early riser was the cool refreshing morning breeze. The walk gave him time to relax before the start of the day. The little gold bell above the cafe door welcomed him with a jingle as he stepped inside. He was the first customer of the day. 

The barista greeted him and he responded with a nod. He placed the same order as the day before. He usually stuck with what he liked and it's hard to convince him otherwise - though Shiro does manage to persuade him to try something new from time to time. 

~~~~~

 

Mullet man came again today. Dammit Keith, why did this guy have to do this to his heart? Lance thought dramatically. And of course, he was the same as the day before, barely noticed him, nor did he meet his gaze when he smiled at him. It was okay though, as much as Lance kinda hated Keith for doing this to him he was also glad to see him again. He was cute okay?

While the tall barista scribbled his name on the cup, Keith subtly glanced at his clip-on name tag. "Hello, I'm Lance!" it read. 

Following the same routine, he paid for his purchase, was handed the number stand and sat down at the same spot by the window. He didn't have much to do today. He could've stayed at home, but his water was still down, and the construction was loud.

Once Lance saw Keith get settled down, he turned to busy himself with his order so he wouldn't have the urge to stare at the boy like a creep. 

Remembering the bookshelf he saw yesterday, Keith decided to walk over to take a look at the collection. His eyes scanned through the titles, and one navy spine caught his eyes. 

Unsure if the books were for the public or only used as decorations, he debated if he should ask for permission. After a minute of silently arguing with himself - which ended in favour of his desire to pass time, he decided to ask. 

Keith awkwardly coughed into his hand to catch the barista’s attention who had his back turned to him. Lance jolted in surprise when Keith cleared his throat and spoke. If he wasn't the only other person there he'd think Keith was talking to someone else. He turned over from the counter to see what the raven head wanted. 

"Um. Can I borrow one of these?" he asked, pointing to the Astrology book.

Keith was pointing at one of his old astrology books. 

He was interested in that too? Lance felt his heart beat a little faster. 

They shared a common interest, maybe that could at least start a conversation?

"Uh yeah sure! They are usually meant for display but, I mean it would be a waste if it just collects dust right? Don't worry I’m sure my manager won’t mind." He grinned at Keith, happy to finally be able to talk to him. Lance had put his old textbooks in there since he didn't need them anymore, and he didn't want to throw them out. So his manager had suggested him to put it in the cafe as display, so that’s what he did. Boy wasn’t he glad he did now.

Slightly surprised by the barista's chirpiness, Keith nodded, hooking his finger against the headband of the book and slid it out with ease. 

He dusted over the cover with his other hand to reveal the worn away gold embossed title. 

He retreated back to his seat and flipped through the pages as he waited for his food. As he flipped through the pages, some page corners were dogeared, he also noticed little doodles of spaceships and lions scattered across the book. His lips curved up at that. He wondered who the previous owner of the book was, he was curious to know what was on their mind when they had sketched these silly drawings.

Lance prepared Keith's order carefully making sure it was perfect before he served it to Keith's table. "Here you go, Black coffee and club sandwich.  
Let me know if you need anything else.” He gave Keith a winning smile eyeing his old textbook curiously.

When his food arrived, Keith did not expect the barista to start a conversation. Usually people tended to just ignore him and go on their way because he looked unapproachable, which was fine by him because he didn't like to engage in casual conversations with strangers.

 

"So you like that kind of stuff? Space and stars and all that jazz?" Lance asked curiously. He wasn't really trying to flirt with Keith, he found himself genuinely interested in what Keith liked.

This 'Lance' guy sure grinned a lot Keith noted.

 

"Uh.. yea. I major in Space Engineering." He said simply, he's used to giving short responses.

 

Lance felt a strange twang in his chest hearing that. It wasn't exactly what he had wanted to study in, but it was close, he wanted to get into something like that but he didn't really get the chance to get that far. So Keith was doing what he only dreamt of doing. Great.

Keith noticed Lance's smile falter upon hearing his answer - an action that he's grown familiar with. Shiro had always nagged at him like a doting mom to practice his social skills. "Soften your speech" he preached, but Keith was Keith, he's just not good at these things. 

"O-Oh! That's great! It must be really difficult!" Lance himself barely finished his first year in his own program before he had to pull out, and it was already pretty hard. Well, for him especially since he didn't excel in academics, but it didn't change the fact that he liked it. He found himself rooting for Keith secretly in his head, to achieve something that he himself probably never could.

 

"How do you like it?”

 

To Keith’s surprise, instead of walking away like all the others, the barista stayed and asked him about how he liked his study. He shrugged, "Actually, I don't find it hard at all. I enjoy it, it's what I wanted to do since I was a kid." The dropout rate for the prestigious program was the highest among all other studies at the university, but Keith has always found the concepts and processes easy to understand - they fit together perfectly in his head. Once you follow through every single step in the process, it'll lead you to the correct answer.

"Oh I see, a bit of a genius are we?" Lance teased, raising a delicate eyebrow at him. Well Keith seemed hard working even if his ego was big, so he guessed he deserved to show off a little. It felt nice to know that Keith liked the same things regardless.

"Yea I like it too! But it's complicated for me, i'm not a smartypants like you- anyway I'll let you get to your coffee and sandwich, call me if you need anything." Lance flashed Keith a small smile before moving back to the counter to serve a few customers who just entered.

 

Unsure if Lance's remark was sarcasm or just teasing, Keith chose to not respond. He could feel the queasiness inside his stomach - this 'conversation with a stranger' thing was new to him, and having shielded himself away from others unless necessary, he could feel a tiny anxiety gnawing at him whenever he had to socially interact with others.

However, oddly enough when the barista had offered to give him back his personal space, he found himself almost wanting to continue the conversation. A part of him was relieved to go back into his comfort zone, but another part of him wanted to ask Lance if he too was a student in Space Engineering. But the choice was already made for him since the barista already headed back towards the counter to greet the two guests that have lined up by the cashier. 

Keith turned to the pages of the book again, but strangely found himself barely absorbing the words on the page. By the time he finished his meal and checked his watch, it was already time to leave - his lecture started earlier today. 

He took a glance at the counter and saw that Lance was occupied with making a drink in hand while empty but lazily scribbled cups lined up along the counter - it's the late morning/before class rush now. Keith wanted to say a word of thanks, but seeing the line at the counter, he didn't want to attract attention to himself. So instead, he made use of a leftover napkin on the small 2 person table and slid the written napkin along the pages of the book before taking his leave. The door jingled softly again, but this time the sound was muted in the bustling cafe. Keith closed the door gently behind him.

~~~~~

Lance was busy with making his orders when Keith had left, he felt horrible that he didn't get to talk more to him, but he still managed to wave him a goodbye before he got out of the door. "Bye Keith, thank you and come again~" he spoke over the line in front of him, but deflated realizing Keith probably didn’t hear it. 

He resumed his work like nothing happened smiling all the while. He was in a better mood than he had been yesterday since he at least got to talk to his newly found crush. 

 

~~~~~

Later on in the evening when Lance started wiping down the tables, he was exhausted. Deciding to take a small break he found himself moving over to the bookshelf, taking out the book Keith had looked at earlier in the day. Curiously, he wondered what the other boy had been reading. He blinked when a napkin fell out of the paged when he opened it. The barista bent down to pick it up, wondering if it was stuck in there by accident somehow.

Lance's eyes widened seeing the thanks scribbled onto the napkin and he almost dropped the book in his hand. 

"He's too cute... i'm gonna die." he mumbled to himself dramatically, placing a hand on his forehead, a flush working it’s way up to his ears. He knew he was acting like some lovesick highschool girl, but he didn’t care. Who would think someone like Keith had such a sweet side? You wouldn’t think something so small would make him this happy, but it did. Lance tucked the napkin safely into his pocket and put the book back. He couldn't stop grinning like a fool as he closed up shop. He hoped he'd see Keith tomorrow morning again, he looked forward to it.

~~~~~

 

Keith didn't end up going to the café the next day. 

He had been called into a last minute shift at the hanger in the afternoon after his early morning class. Even though it wasn't required for students to work during school semesters, and his scholarship covered his tuition, Keith took the job because he enjoyed the hands-on experience. His boss was an easy going and pretty generous guy. 

On slow days, he allowed Keith to take one of the planes out for a ride. The place wasn't big, it was only his boss, him, and a scrawny tomboy called Pidge alternating the shifts, but Pidge is mainly in charge of updating the software and tweaking the hardware when the aircraft's come in with problems. It was a slow day today, no flight class was scheduled, and only a couple guys came in to do training.

Keith took the time to sweep around the place and organize the tools and bottles on the shelves. One of the planes needed oil, and he busied himself with that while his mind wandered to a certain coffee shop. He wondered if Lance had picked up the note that he left or if it had just been dropped or something.

~~~~~

 

Lance hummed as he arrived to work early morning and unlocked the glass doors to the cafe. He was in a good mood to say the least, he had kept the napkin Keith wrote on and left it next to his bed stand. He was looking forward to seeing his mullet again today, having wrote a reply napkin last night, he planned on sneakily slipping it into his next order, he was excited to surprise the other boy back. But after an hour of waiting after he set up shop, he realized maybe Keith wouldn't come today. 

His heart sank, he hadn’t even got Keith’s number yet, so it wasn't like they could communicate any other way. As lunch rush started Lance was too busy to dwell on Keith, but he found himself sorely disappointed all day and sighing more times than he could count during his shift. 

Even as he closed up shop he couldn't help but wonder if Keith was ever coming back. He would right? he enjoyed his time here? Or was he mistaken? Lance locked up shop a little early, feeling more drained than usual. Guess he had gotten his hopes up too soon. Like the small pessimistic part of him thought, Keith was probably just being nice... someone like him had to be taken. Lance, why do you always have to choose the impossible ones? He grieved to himself.

 

~~~~~

Keith found himself back in his usual spot the next day. 

He felt weird for saying usual since it's really only his 3rd visit to the little shop, but there's a familiar vibe here that made him feel at home. It was the afternoon and the cafe was just getting over it's 3 o'clock rush. For the first time since he's been here, Keith had to wait in line (he was always first in the morning so he never had to wait before). 

The girl in front of him carried an overpowering dose of perfume and Keith slightly wrinkled his nose at the smell. He checked the time on his watch. It's literally been 2 minutes since she's been at the counter and she still hasn't made her order yet, debating which drink to get and he swore she had asked the brunette for his opinion on every single drink on the menu already.

"Hmmm, I'm not sure about dark coffee. I'm not a big fan of bitter things." 

He heard her say after Lance had suggested the drink due to her comment about not having a sweet tooth. Lance had to keep from sighing and being rude, this lady was taking her sweet time. He still entertained her however, recommending drinks to her and giving her his opinions. But honestly she was starting to annoy him, pretty lady or not. Was she flirting with him or something? Usually he'd love to play along and jump at the opportunity, but seeing Keith waiting behind her made him almost want to tell her off. 

Having had enough of her indecisiveness, Keith decided to interrupt. "Look, this is a coffee shop, if you don't like anything on the menu, go somewhere else. There's a line behind you." He said flatly. 

The shocked expression on the girl's face told him that she's never been talked to that way. Perhaps because of her pretty face, she was used to being sweet talked to, but Keith wasn’t that type of guy. If he wants his coffee, he's not going to wait a decade for it. She stared back at him as if waiting for an apology her expression clearly offended, but Keith just stared right back. Eventually the girl gave up, giving a huff of defiance, flicking her hair rudely into his face and stormed out the door on the loud clicks of her heels. 

Lance was surprised Keith had spoken to her first, and savagely might he add. The barista’s mouth hung open a little watching the girl leave in anger as the bell jingled signalling her exit. Oddly, Lance found he didn't really mind, even though he usually hated rude jerks, he was kinda glad Keith did what he did.

Keith turned his attention back to the counter somewhat embarrassed by his outburst in public. Lance beamed at him when he approached the cashier. "Good afternoon Keith~ Nice to see you again today! The usual yes?" He gave him a teasing smile, eyebrows quirked in an amused fashion. Keith did help him out earlier even if he didn’t do it for Lance's sake, it may or may not have been kinda of hot. Lance didn't think Keith was the type of person to tell someone off like that, but he found that he wasn’t at all bothered by it. 

Keith gave his order and quickly made his way to his usual table.

~~~~~~

 

Keith idly stared at the bolded 3 under the lamination as he fiddled with the order number stand for a few minutes until he heard his name.

Did the barista just call him by his name? How did he know? Maybe he was hearing things, maybe the other said something else? Thinking back to the days of his elementary when his teacher would always tell the class to "keep it down, and how he'd jump at the initial ‘kee’ sound, nervous that the teacher was calling on him to answer a question he wasn’t prepared for or something. But the answer to question was confirmed upon the arrival of his food as the tanned brunette stopped by his table.

Lance smiled as he served his favourite brooding customer. "Here you go, sorry for the wait-- "

 

"How do you know my name?" Keith blurted out without really thinking.

Lance blinked hearing the unexpected question.

"Well, you mumbled it to me on the first day didn't you? I wrote it on the cup and everything~!”

Oh yea right, it almost slipped Keith’s mind that he did tell the barista his name when he ordered. With the amount of coffee he orders, it was almost second nature for to him to say his name and forgetting it. But still, he was impressed with the brunette's memory especially with number of customers he talked to daily. 

“Call me if u need anything alright?" 

Waving, the barista grabbed the number plate and carefully placed the tray down onto the table. Lance made sure to tuck the special napkin he prepared next to Keith’s coffee before shooting Keith a goofy smile and made his way back to serve the other awaiting customers.

As Keith reached for his plate, he noticed a corner of a napkin stuck out from beneath the porcelain plate. He lifted the plate and was about to set it to the side when he saw the familiar scribbles that matched the writing on his cup sleeve. 

"You're welcome anytime" it read with a half squiggle at the end and a happy face. The stars and planets that decorated the surrounding empty space were almost saying "hey, i put effort into this!" and Keith found himself smiling at the thought of it as his thumb glided over the scrawl of the barista's name on the bottom.

Lance couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness when he saw Keith smile at the napkin. 

Lance felt like he just won the lottery or something since Keith rarely smiled even in the short time he’s known him, so yes he was swelling with pride in himself and his awesome plans. Lance now knew now it was totally worth it since a smiling Keith was even cuter than brooding Keith. He had to forcefully tear his eyes away from Keith in order to keep working, his own energy seemingly having doubled as he served the rest of the customers in line with a new bounce in his step..

~~~~~~~~

 

Days passed by quickly and Keith's visits to the cafe had become a part of his regular routine. On the days that he had afternoon classes, he would head to the the shop after his morning run and shower. As for the days where he had morning classes, he'd pay a short visit after the lecture ended. 

Surprisingly, his little table by the window was always free, as if eagerly waiting for him. Maybe the cafe's mood had rubbed off on him, but he found himself feeling calmer than usual these days. Even Shiro noticed that he's been in a lighter mood recently.

~~~~~~~

 

Lance heaved a huge sigh, looking over at the table where Keith usually sat at. He was eagerly waiting for Keith to arrive and it was safe to say that he was head over heels for the mullet head. Lance couldn't be happier since he would come almost everyday now and every time he did it was the highlight of his day. He'd also been keeping track of the books he read and made sure to put new ones when he finished. Honestly Lance was a lovestruck idiot right now. Hunk raised his eyebrows at him. 

"Wow Lance, you really have fallen hard for this guy haven't you..." 

Hunk had only managed to get glimpses of the infamous Keith ,so he didn't know too much per say...but it was all Lance talked about now. His buddy had even stopped flirting with pretty ladies and that was serious alright. 

Lance sighed again becoming jelly on the counter. 

"Yeaaah....I guess I am... what do I do Hunk? I think I like him- like more than just a silly crush...but i haven't gotten the balls to ask him about his love life yet..." Lance mumbled, a cheek now smushed against the counter. 

"Well... why don't you just ask? I mean... there's no use beating around the bush right?" Hunk suggested. 

"Yeaaah but what if he is dating? Then it's all over Hunk!" the barista gestured dramatically. 

"That may be buddy, but... you’re just gonna keep hoping that he's single and not ask? That's not really a good idea Lance..." Hunk said, patting his friend’s arm.

 

Lance whined again deflating some more. Lance knew Hunk was right. He was always right. 

"Yeah... I guess I'll ask... even if it means a broken heart." he pouted.

Hunk chuckled at his friend, he was such a drama queen but it was also endearing in a way. "It's okay Lance, you never know maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised!" Hunk moved his hand to pat him on the back in a comforting manner. Hunk wondered if Shiro knew anything about Keith's love life since they seemed to be pretty close friends, he decided he'd ask later when he saw Shiro for their group project.

~~~~~~

 

Keith was running a little late on his routine schedule for his morning lecture. He was late due to the huge amount of preparation for the exam he had next week. 

His phone vibrated in his back pocket and he tapped the screen to see a message from Shiro, asking if he wanted to chill after his class. Though Keith would prefer to go to the cafe and read to relax from his stressful morning, he hasn't seen his older friend for a while. Shiro had been busy with his own school projects too. 

“Sure”, he texted back, asking where Shiro wanted to rendezvous. After a couple of exchanges back and forth, they finally agreed on the cafe. Shiro had never been there himself, so he wanted to go check it out, even though he was the one who suggested the cafe to Keith in the first place.

Sliding his phone back to his jeans pocket, Keith decided that he'll make a detour to his house first to drop off his bags knowing that Shiro was probably going to drag him off to some sort of event after. By the time Keith arrived at the shop, he was glad to find that afternoon rush had wound down.

The wooden and glass door closed with a jingle as he walked his way to the counter. The familiar barista greeted him as usual and rang up his usual order without asking- Keith appreciated the silent communication that they had. 

After paying with his card, he took his usual spot with a new book that he found on the shelf. He made sure to message Shiro that he's already at the cafe before opening the book and turning to it's pages.

Lance could only grin when he saw Keith walk in through the door, going through their routine happily and quickly sauntered over to serve him. "Here ya go~ The usual my man!" he said cheerfully, he placed his coffee and sandwich on the table gently making sure not to spill anything. 

Keith wouldn't admit it, but he silently enjoyed the barista's cheeriness when served his food. He's not much of a talker but they managed little conversations here and there.

"So I heard exam period is coming up - though i'm sure for someone like you it's pretty easy huh." Lance inquired, a hand on his hip the other hand holding onto the now empty tray. He was going to do it today; going to write Keith a secret napkin note to ask if he would like to date. He was nervous to say the least, his heart thudding abnormally already just thinking about it.

"Not really, I still have to study you know." though the subject is easy for him to understand, his grades were achieved mostly by hard work. 

"Thanks for this.' his lips curved up as he brought a hand to the cup of hot coffee. After a couple more exchanges and small talk, the barista gave him back his space and went back to the counter to serve the accumulated customers.

Lance's heart was beating rabbit-fast, hoping Keith would see the note he scribbled on the inside of his napkin today, he couldn't stop glancing over every time he finished serving a customer.

Keith went back to his book. It wasn't until some time later that he heard the doorbell jingle and the chair in front of him was pulled back. 

Lance’s eyes widened as soon as a super buff and handsome dude just casually sat across from Keith. 

Keith smiled at him in a way he'd never seen before and he felt his heart drop. 

Shit...he knew it was too good to be true...Keith's boyfriend was here. 

He was still staring in disbelief and basically forgot what he was doing, he winced as he overfilled a coffee cup and the hot liquid spilled over his hand. 

He quickly ran to the sink to cool down his throbbing hand but it didn't nearly hurt as much as his throbbing heart. Lance spared quick glances over to Keith’s table seeing the guy talk to Keith like it was second nature and feels his throat tighten. No he wasn't supposed to cry, he should've expected something like this to happen and yet he found that it didn't make him feel any better.

~~~~~

 

Keith looked up from the book he was reading in his hands to see his long time buddy Shiro who gave him a gentle smile. Shiro and him greeted each other and before they got too carried away with their conversion, Keith suggested that Shiro should order a drink first. 

~~~~~

 

After haphazardly wrapping his hand with a damp towel, Lance resumed doing his work and served the rest of the customers without any other incidents, though he could only manage fake smiles that didn't quite reach his eyes.

God are you pathetic Lance, get over it. 

He chided himself, heaving a huge sigh, Lance wanted nothing more than to go home early today. He messed up bad, and he had the worst timing, he wanted to melt behind the counter and disappear forever. Pulling at his hair a little, Lance waited with dread for Keith to see his note. He didn’t want to see Keith and his handsome boyfriend laugh at him for being so stupid. 

~~~~~

 

From the table, Keith’s eyes followed Shiro's back to the counter as he walked towards Lance, wondering what he was going to order. 

~~~~~

 

Lance choked on air, not even noticing that said boyfriend spoke to him, and was looking concerned at him. 

"You okay?" the man questioned. 

Lance could only nod. "Y-Yeah i'm fine...haha;;.." he's never felt so inadequate in his life until he was standing in front of Shiro who was definitely much more handsome than he could ever be, and was probably just as smart if not smarter than Keith. Oh and he had the build of a spartan. Of course, Keith just had to pick someone super good looking like Shiro. 

"W-What would you like?" 

Lance managed to ask with a nervous smile, waiting for the older man to make his order.

"Can I get a Latte with double expresso?" 

Keith heard Lance ask for Shiro's order behind his friend’s tall frame. Judging from the barista’s voice, Lance sounded a lil off, not like his usual cheery self. He wondered if the barista was tired from the long day of work. 

Soon after, Shiro returned to the table with a number stand in his hand. "This place is a gem compared to ones closer to campus." Shiro said as he sat down in his seat. 

"Yea, it’s nice. I like the mornings better though."

Keith took a sip of his coffee. Apparently, that casual statement surprised Shiro. 

"Wait, did I just hear that correctly? Keith, a regular here? Keith? Mr. I'm-a-giant-unsociable-rock-Keith?"

~~~~~

 

Lance couldn't really get himself to look over at their table anymore, wondering if he could find someone to take the rest of his shift for him. 

He just wanted to go home and wallow in self pity and curse himself for how stupid he was. He sighed again, his hand throbbing dully to match his aching heart. Guess he would just have to wait till they leave before he left... and he hoped that Keith doesn't see that note he wrote, it would be better that way. He laid his head in his folded arms at the counter, pretty much done for the day.

 

Lance groaned when he realized he hadn’t even brought the latte over to the handsome guy yet. 

Slapping his own cheeks he heaved a breath to calm himself down. Get it together Lance, don't be a baby. Taking another deep breath and managing to make himself more presentable, he walked towards the table and served Shiro his Latte, his burnt hand with the damp towel hidden behind his back.

When Lance came over to deliver Shiro's latte, Keith noticed the hand that was clumsily wrapped in a towel. The forced smile on the barista's face added to his concerns.

"Here ya go one Latte, let me know if you need anything else, enjoy~" He gave Shiro a small smile, it was nothing like his usual grin but it was there. 

No he wasn't mad or angry, the guy seemed really nice. He was just upset at himself more than anything. He glanced at Keith for only a brief second to flash him a small smile before Lance turned to leave, knowing he probably couldn't keep the smile up for much longer. 

 

Keith called out to him before Lance could leave the table, "Hey, you alright?"

Lance paused mid-step hearing Keith speak to him and turned back to face them, unable to fight the surprise on his face since he didn't expect Keith to talk to him. 

When faced with the quizzical look on Lance's face, Keith gestured to the wrapped hand behind Lance’s back with a tilt of his head, "your hand." he said. 

Lance quickly shoved the burnt hand into his pocket. 

Across from him, Keith could feel Shiro's gaze on him.

 

"O-Oh uh yea haha - just a little spilt coffee no big deal." he laughed it off nervously not sure how to face Keith right now also feeling mr.handsome’s concerned gaze on him as well didn’t help at all, he wanted to hide in a hole. Lance was unable to keep eye contact at the moment and quickly moved to leave. 

 

"A-Anyway enjoy the food." he stuttered. 

 

Real fucking smooth Lance, they probably think you're an even bigger loser than before. Woopie. Lance all but flopped onto the chair behind the counter. 

Could the day end already, Lance didn't know how much more his heart could take. Usually he'd jump at the opportunity of Keith worrying over him, but now he just wished Keith would ignore him like before so that his chest wouldn’t tighten painfully when he did.

~~~~~

 

"New friend?" Shiro smiled at Keith knowingly after watching the barista leave. 

"I didn't know you liked to make friends. Especially with cute tanned baristas."

In embarrassment, Keith gave a Shiro a punch on the shoulder, "shut it, he's just a barista that works here." he explained in defense.

Sure, they knew each other's names and chatted through napkins, but they weren't.....friends....were they? They were more like...They were..acquaintances? Hmmm that wasn’t quite the right word either. Anyways, Keith felt his head hurt just thinking about this. Urgh, whatever. Whatever it was, it's not what Shiro thinks it is. 

Thankfully the latter dropped the subject and went on talking about his latest project as team lead instead. 

The rest of their conversation was pleasant, Shiro told him about a possible co-op opportunity in the winter semester, his personal project with Matt who's in a year ahead of them (he and Shiro used to be in the same year but Shiro's accident let him drop to a year below since he needed time to recover. Shiro eventually ended up in Keith's class despite the 2 years age gap since Keith has skipped a year due to his over qualification on the entrance exams.) 

Time passed quickly and the next time he check the watch, it was already 5. 

"Hey, I remember you mentioned about the part that you needed for that tech class? Do you still need it? Matt said he has a spare one if you wanna take it." happy that he didn't have to go out of his way to find it, Keith gladly took the offer. 

Shiro suggested they swung by his place, since it was closer to which Keith agreed.

Before he stepped out the door, he gave one last glance at the counter, but instead of the usual cheery goodbye, he was faced with Lance's back. He was about to say bye but was interrupted by a rounder fellow dressed in a yellow shirt who called out to Lance, which made the barista turn and head into the back. 

"Keith?" he heard Shiro ask, a foot out the door. With one last worried look, Keith headed out the door. 

 

"I'm coming."

~~~~~

 

Lance blinked glancing up at Hunk. He's been moping for the past few hours and he just caught a glimpse of Keith and Shiro as they left, the bell by the door chiming as if to rub it in further. Shit he missed them, good going Lance, at this rate him and Keith wouldn't even be friends with him anymore. 

He didn't want that, he genuinely liked Keith... even if seeing him with someone else really hurt right now. 

"Hey man you’re lookin’ pretty rough buddy, did it not go well?" Hunk looked at lance with concern. Had he given him bad advice? 

"I guess… I found out he has a boyfriend... and he was with said boyfriend and they were chatting for hours." He sighed tiredly, glancing at his burnt hand wondering if he needed to get his hand treated or something since it was throbbing dully still. 

"Aw Lance... come on it's okay, did you-- did you tell him though?" Hunk pat him on the back. 

"No... but it doesn't matter, better that he doesn't know now that I know he's taken." Lance sulked, dragging himself up to clean Keith's table. "I'm... leaving early and taking tomorrow off, you think you can stand in for me buddy?" Hunk smiled. "Of course, feel better soon." 

Lance could only wave back at Hunk in thanks as he cleaned the table. 

He glanced at the napkin that laid there untouched and felt his heart ache. (Guess he doesn't need to check those anymore when he had his bf with him...) He grabbed the napkin, crumpled it and threw it in the trash can. 

Crumpled, like his friggin' heart. 

Lance headed home after locking up shop and found himself drowning in ice cream and netflix. He really needed to get his mind off of Keith.

~~~~~

 

The next morning before Hunk had to fill in for Lance’s shift, he decided to speak to Shiro real quick, calling his friend up.

Shiro was surprised to see Hunk calling him in the morning since they had team practice later that day. He prepared for the worst scenario that could happen but was relieved and also shocked upon hearing the others question. 

"Hey Shiro! How ya doing man? -- good good ah nothing I just wanted to ask about something... is Keith in a relationship?"

 

Hunk knew it really wasn't his business, but seeing how devastated Lance was he wanted to make sure, and since Shiro was close to Keith he was the only one he could really turn to.

Wait did Shiro miss something?? Did Hunk like Keith?? He didn't even know the two even knew each other, but now that Keith frequents the cafe so often... 

"Erm, not that I know of..why?" he asked hesitantly.

"Really? Are you sure?" Hunk sounded pretty happy.

"Oh right i forgot to tell you why i'm asking, it's ‘cause my friend..." he looks around as if to make sure Lance wasn't there even though he knew that was impossible.

He whispered anyway and continued, "has the hots for Keith-- and he said that Keith came in with a boyfriend yesterday? And he's like super upset so I just-- wanted to ask..." he trailed off wondering if he was making the wrong decision to pry.

"Came in with a boyfriend…?" Shiro murmured to himself. But he was with Keith yesterday, and he's pretty sure that his friend had a full morning class, unless...then It dawned on Shiro that the "boyfriend" that Hunk was referring to was none other than himself. 

"Oh nonono, I think your friend misunderstood. I was the one with Keith yesterday at the cafe." he chuckled.

"What?! You were with Keith?! Oh my god that idiot-- he's going to be so happy! Shiro thanks so much for the info!-- oh one more thing... sorry if it seems like I'm prying and I know it's reaaally none my business but... do you think Keith would be interested in... other dudes?" Hunk didn’t want to get Lance's hopes up only to get rejected for real.

On one hand shiro was glad that the misunderstanding was cleared up, but on the other hand Shiro didn't know if that was a good thing. And from the short spurts of Hunk's speech, he couldn't exactly figure out what's happening. 

"Honestly…? I'm not sure, Keith isn't really a social person...so i'm not sure. I barely see him interacting with - heck i barely see him interacting with anyone voluntarily." well maybe except for that barista, Shiro thought to himself.

Hunk gasped audibly. "Then maybe there's a chance--- oh yeah uhh that barista yesterday? Ya he's my friend that has the hots for Keith. --- d-don't tell him I told you though..." he mumbled as an afterthought. "I'll let Lance know later tonight about the good news. Anyway thanks a bunch Shiro, I'll catch ya later?"

Ahh so that's the one, Shiro chuckled to himself as Hunk disconnected the call. With this news, Shiro almost felt obligated to (y'know, as a parent figure and as Keith's longtime friend) spy on the progression of this new blossoming crush? love?? Shiro’s thoughts were interrupted by a familiar ringtone. His finger slid across the screen and he held the device up to his ears. "Oh, hey Matt!"

~~~~~

 

Hunk sat at the counter whilst doing Lance's job, he was a little clumsy and sometimes made mistakes but overall he thought he did a decent job. He blinked once he saw Keith enter. (tough luck Lance, you should've come into work after all...) 

"Hey there what can I get ya?" Even though he knew Keith's order already (courtesy of Lance) he didn't want to creep the guy out. 

Surprised that Lance wasn't at the cashier, Keith ordered his coffee and sandwich hesitantly. The big guy seemed really nice, but he was still worried about Lance after yesterday. He debated whether or not he should ask if Lance was here after he paid. But what if this yellow shirt guy didn’t know really know? Then hed make an embarrassment out of himself. In the end, Keith retreated toward his usual table with the book he was reading from yesterday. Strangely Keith couldn’t get himself to concentrate on the words in front of him today.

~~~~~

 

Lance groaned loudly. Skipping work didn't feel as great as he thought it would be. He was still bummed out. But he knew that avoiding it wouldn’t solve a thing. He'd just have to take it like a man when he went back to work tomorrow.

But just as he was about to turn on the tv his phone rang, seeing it was Hunk he quickly picked up. 

"Hey, what's up buddy? Need help with work?" 

"No... Lance Keith is here... also that wasn't his boyfriend yesterday- DON'T ask me how I know - just... just get over here... you were going to ask him right?" 

Lance was speechless. That handsome dude wasn't his boyfriend?! Meaning he still had a chance? He scrambled out of bed so fast he almost fell flat on his face. He got dressed in record time. 

"I - ILL BE THERE-- in like 10 minutes keep him there!" Lance quickly hung up as he left for the door, not even bothering to lock it before he practically sprinted towards the cafe. 

 

~~~~~

Hunk could only shake his head. Lance really was head over heels for this guy, he only hoped Keith would at least be nice to his buddy even if he wasn't into Lance.

Keith finished his coffee much quicker than usual today. Somehow it just didn't taste the same, something, he didn't know what, felt missing. Slightly disappointed by the lack of a certain barista, he tucked his notes into his bag, slid out of his chair and headed towards the door.

"Hey wait!" the voice came from behind him and he turned to see the yellow shirt barista rushing towards him as if he dropped something.

"You uh, leaving already?” Hunk asked nervously. Dammit Lance owed him big time how was he supposed to keep Keith occupied while Lance rushed over? He doesn’t even know the guy! This was was going to be a mess...

Keith was surprised by the big guy’s question since they've never really talked to each other before, Keith gave him a nod. 

"Uh. Yes?"

“Uh-- um... why don't u stay a little longer? He smile nervously. How does one become a good wingman? Lance hurry the hell up!

There was something strange going on, but Keith had no idea what. The yellow shirt guy seemed unusually nervous and he swore he could almost see sweat droplets forming on the others forehead. "Erm, i'll pass. I should get going." Keith replied as he placed his hand on the door knob.

"Uh- L- Lance is coming in- to work i mean, he wanted to see you..." he blurted out and covered his mouth as soon as he did. He panicked! He was not supposed to say that.

The other’s statement made Keith stop in his tracks. Lance wanted to see him? 

 

"What do you mean-?" the door swung violently open with a loud jingle before he could finish his sentence.

 

"K-Keith!--" 

Lance shouted as he got inside, his tie was crooked and hair was a disheveled mess. He was panting hard, having ran all the way there. His cheeks flared lightly seeing Keith stare at him like he was a madman. He couldn’t tell if he was just surprised or scared also. 

"S-sorry I just um... wanted to see you..." Lance mumbled lamely, looking away. 

"I- If you’re in a hurry though, then its totally fine we can always talk another day..." he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. Hunk had to fight down a laugh seeing his friend so flustered. Damn did Keith have Lance good.

At a loss for words due to Lance's outburst, Keith only managed to give a weak nod. 

" I have time." he said almost too quickly. 

"Did you want to take a seat?" He offered, looking at Lance's messy hair that made the barista look maybe a little too attractive yet adorable at the same time.

Lance blinked, dumbfounded by Keith’s answer before beaming up at him happily. 

"Ya! Totally, sorry about this...um-- I'll get us something to drink, you take a seat first!" He ran a hand through his hair only to make it more ruffled but he was too happy to care, giving Hunk a huge thumbs up. Hunk returned it, super glad Lance seemed to be in a much better mood. It was nice seeing Lance happy again. 

Keith was about to reject Lance's offer for more drinks but the brunette was already behind the counter. He did manage to catch a glimpse of Lance ruffling his hair though and oh boy, if that wasn’t the sexiest thing he's ever seen then he didn’t know what will be.

Lance hummed oblivious to Keith’s inner turmoil. His burnt hand was all but forgotten as he made them both some espressos, making some nice space art with the cream.

Before Keith could flush any redder, he turned around and lead himself to the table. Moments later, the barista returned with two cups in his hands and offered Keith to give it a try. 

"Here you go~! I know you probably already had your black coffee so, maybe give this a try? It's ok if you don't like it though~" Lance’s smile reached his eyes again as he sat across from Keith, waiting for him to try it first. He was rather excited, his heart thudding happily. He was finally sitting with Keith, he could die happy now... all he had to do now was... ask, and pray for the best. 

When Keith accepted the drink, he didn't expect to see the little space ship drawing floating on top of the dark brew. It made him feel something strange, it wasn’t a bad strange, it felt like downing a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter day, and that pleasant feeling of warmth spread through his stomach. Keith didn’t really have a sweet tooth, but he found the slightly sweet aftertaste lingering on his tongue to be quite addicting. He licked the corner of his lips to get rid of the excess foam. 

Lance watched him try it and was pleasantly surprised he seemed to like it. He had to fight down a blush when Keith licked his lips. Cute and hot, dammit Keith needed to stop.

"So.." Keith cleared his throat, "what did you want to talk about?"

Lance heaved a huge breath and was sitting rigidly, nervous beyond belief but he knew he had to ask. It was now or never. Getting the courage to look straight into Keith's pretty purple eyes he spoke.

"I-I really like you Keith, w-would you go out on a date with me!?" He whisper yelled and spoke way faster than he should've and then he stared at his lap. Shit shit shit that wasn't suave at all, he sounded like a highschool girl that's confessing to their first crush! 

It took a good minute for Keith to register that he was just asked out on a date by the handsome barista. He could feel his cheeks heat up instantaneously as he glanced to the side instinctively to avoid meeting the other's gaze.

Lance’s heart pounded, his face flushed as he waited for Keith's reply. Was it too soon? Would he scare Keith away? He hoped to whatever god there was he hadn’t.

"Okay." Keith mumbled, wanting to shove his head into a pillow to hide his utter embarrassment.

Lance had to do a double take. His blue eyes wide with disbelief. He said okay...He said okay!

Keith had agreed to date him! "R-really?! -awesome! " He couldn't contain himself, he leapt out if his chair and pulled Keith into a tight hug. 

Being the ‘emotionless rock’ that he was, talking to Lance already took a lot from him, but when Lance practically jumped off of his seat to engulf Keith in his arms, man, Keith swore he felt faint of heart and weak in the knees. He's definitely not used to this "hug" thing that everyone's so keen on doing. Physical contact was just so.....intimate.

"I've been wanting to do this forever... just so you know, you're really cute... andprettyhot." Lance grinned at the boy in his arms. His flirting game was coming back again now that he wasn't a complete idiot thinking had an unrequited love. Keith wasn't sure if his cheeks were capable of blushing any deeper until he heard Lance’'s words next to his ear. Okay. He's pretty sure even his ears were pink right now from the embarrassment.

"So you like me?" Lance asked again, just to make sure he wasn’t mistaken.

"What do you think?... You're still an idiot though, Lance." Keith gave him a slight push on the other’s chest.

"Awww i love you too~ also I'm your idiot now right?" he cooed, able to tell Keith was happy even if he seemed pissy. That was part of Keith's charm, his grumpy face contrasted with his blush was the cutest. "Keith?...can I... can I kiss you? Like on the cheek..." he flushed a little, wanting to show Keith some love and let him know just how happy he was about all this. He knew a kiss on the lips was probably too much for the introverted mullet head, so one on the cheek or forehead would do.

As Lance blabbered on in nervousness, Keith grabbed the other's shirt collar and yanked him forward. Their lips met in a short sweet kiss. Keith pulled away first, too embarrassed by his own impulsive actions. 

"Is that proof enough." he mumbled.

Lance had his mouth wide open in shock, blushing up to his ears before he stammered. 

"N-No...can I have more?" 

Lance leaned in to kiss Keith again softly, being careful and keeping his hands on Keith's arms before moving them to his waist. 

Hunk had to fight the urge to say ‘awww’ while simultaneously wanting to leave as fast as possible. "Uh guys i'm really happy for you two and all, but just uh remember i'm here so don't get too carried away just yet?"

Lance could only roll his eyes, hugging Keith closer. 

"Okay stop, that's it." Keith pushed Lance's cheek away seeing that he was about to zoom in for another kiss.

“We know that Hunk! it's just a kiss!" Lance pouted, but then chuckled seeing his friend’s grossed out face. He glanced at Keith with excitement, "so, where should we go on our first date mullet?" he moved a hand to play with said mullet gently, threading his fingers through the nape of the other’s neck. His hair was silky and soft.

Keith, still enclosed in those long arms  
enjoyed the moment until Lance open his big mouth with a nickname that he can't say he appreciated. 

"No, nevermind, i'm leavin." He said flatly, prying the teasing tanned hands away from his back.

“What!? Noooo Keith I’m sorry I didn’t mean it!” Lance all but whined tailing after Keith out of the store like a lost puppy. Keith couldn’t stop the small smile gracing his lips at the idiot’s antics. No his boyfriend’s antics, how the hell did his life come to this point?

Hunk shook his head at the display, their bickering voices getting further and further away. Lance was always a lovesick fool whether he was in or out of a relationship. He picked up his cellphone and called up Shiro, deciding to tell his buddy the news, the guy deserve to know since he helped make it happen. “Hey Shiro, you would never guess what the hell just happened.”


End file.
